Emergency medical dispatch services for ambulances often receive calls that can be mainly classified as psychosocial emergencies or support needs. These calls frequently relate to issues such as homelessness, loneliness, overstress of relatives, sociopsychiatric distress, domestic violence, and situations with a stronger medical component such as alcohol or drug problems. 

This project investigates the types of psychosocial concerns that are either identified on site or reach emergency services through emergency numbers. It further examines the temporal and geographic distribution of these cases and explores how emergency services differentiate between psychosocial and medical emergencies during the triage process. Key questions include: How do emergency dispatchers distinguish between medical and psychosocial emergencies during the initial call in an international comparison? Is there a process for redirecting callers from medical emergency services to appropriate psychosocial support while still on the phone? What might an effective referral look like? What training, qualifications, and educational measures are needed for Social Workers to conduct telephone triage in this context?